Historic $350m NSW funding boost helps launch new Aboriginal family program to help children ‘tell their own stories’

A new Aboriginal family preservation program has been launched across New South Wales after what the state government has described as a historic $350 million funding boost to wider child protection reforms.

According to a monitored public feed from The Guardian World, the program is designed to give at-risk children a stronger sense of identity and support them to “tell their own stories” while remaining connected to family, community and culture. The initiative is part of a broader push by the Minns government to reshape child and family care through a more holistic model.

The program was co-designed with First Nations families, Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and the NSW government. Its stated aim is to reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, a long-running issue in Australia’s child protection system.

The feed summary says the approach is intended to preserve children’s identities as part of reforms to the wider system. It also indicates the program focuses on family preservation rather than removal wherever possible, with Aboriginal-led organisations playing a central role in design and delivery.

The announcement comes amid continuing concern about the number of Indigenous children placed in care away from family and community. By centring cultural connection and community-based support, the new program is being presented as a more collaborative model for keeping children safe while maintaining their ties to Country, kin and culture.

Further detail in the feed summary is limited, but the launch appears to form part of a significant investment package linked to child protection reform in NSW. The government’s funding commitment has been described as historic, suggesting the program is one element of a larger shift in policy.

This report is based on a monitored public feed. Source attribution: The Guardian World. Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/22/historic-350m-nsw-funding-boost-helps-launch-new-aboriginal-family-program-to-help-children-tell-their-own-stories